Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-08-24
COLORADO'S FARMS.
AND A FEW FACTS ABOUT HER
METHOD OF IRRIGATION.

What the state II and What It Produces.
Irrigation Companies and Their Won
derful Canals-Water Sold by the Inch.
A Look 1t Greeley.
II Especial Correspondence.l
DENVER, Aug. II.
Colorado is a big state, and it will be sur
prising to many to know just how big 1t Is
Figures of square miles give little idea OF ex'
tent to one not accustomed to dealing with
them, and comparison is the only possible
way Of approaching the area Of countries.
First, as to location, Kansas is in just the
center of the United States, and, by the way.
its citizens are beginning to think that all the
rest Of the Union revolves around them.
Colorado is just west Of Kansas, and here at
Denver we are a little over half way from
New York to San Francisco A fast express
train travelling at the rate OF thirty miles an
hour day and night, and making no stops,
could 20 from New York to Denver in two
DAYS and half, OF sixty-four bours; and
Denver is located east Of the center OF Colo
RADIO. 1t is a twenty hours ride from here to
Omaha, and more than that to Kansas City.
It is more than twice as far from here to New
York a. it Is from New York to Chicago, and
when you reach Denver you are not half way
across Colorado. 1t is further from one side
of Colorado to the other than it is from Cleve-
land to Chicago, and from the northern line
of the state to the southern boundary is nearly
twice as far as from New York toWashngton
City. The state is a rectangle in shape, $50
miles long and. $50 miles broad, and it
is the fourth state OF the Union in area.
Only Texas California and Nevada
| are larger than it, and it is more than twice
| as big as Wisconsin and nearly twice the size
! Of Alabama or North Carolina. It is greater
| than New York, Ohio and Maryland COM
| b,ned. and its area would contain so Della
wares. or 20 Connecticuts, or 10 New Jerseys,
| or 0 Belgiums, or Scotlands, or more
than 80 Rhode Islands. You could put
| Georgia, Michigan, Iowa or Wisconsin in
| Colorado, and either Kentucky, South Caro-
lima or West Virginia could rattle around in
the vacant space left. You could make Of its
area three Irelands, and England and Wales
would only little more than half I'LL its
boundaries. 1t contains more than one
th,rteth of all the land in the thirty-eight
United States and nine territories, and it is
the greatest mining region OF the Union.
a*s
| The mines are Oh the Rocky mountains,
which take up more than the western half of
the state, and the other half is largely dusty
arid plain which, gray in color, grows little
else than cactus, sage brush and buffalo
grass. The only cultivatable part of the
state is that reached by irrigation, and it is
estimated by the more conservative of Colo,
RADIO statisticians that not more than 5,OOO,'
600 acres Of this whole state is tillahle.
| ~l~:,,. kl~ok hs~k
600, 600 acres can be cultivated, and there are
those who think that the great American
desert, which lies between here and Kansas
will in the future, by the advance Of the rain
belt, blossom like the rose. Five millions OF
acres, however, is nearly as big as all Massa
chusetts, and it is more than three times the
size Of Delaware. Ohio contains not quite
%, 900, 900 acres, and the whole hay crop OIL
the United States is raised on about this area
of :. 900 700 ncres All the barley, potatoes
and rye which we raised in 1870, amounting
to. in round numbers, AZ, O00, 900 bushels o
barley, %. OOO. 900 bushels OF rye and 1874 900,
900 bushels of potatoes were raised on les
than 5000, 600 acres Of ground. So you Sc
that at the lowest estimate. the Colorado
farming territory is large enough 10 feed a,
immense population.
.~s
It already turns out a farming product equa
to more than SO, 1000 600 year, and in 1873
1t produced 1900, 900 bushels Of wheat, l, 800,
900 bushels Of oats, ITO, 600 bushels If barley
1000, 600 bushels Of corn and ,0Oo, 600 bushel
Of potatoes The Colorado wheat is as goo
rs any in the world, and its potatoes al
noted for their excellence. The above figure
show a remarkable Increase since 1888, an
! there has been a heavy immigration I
Colorado within the past few years. Th
. best land in the state, and that which coul
be made good by irrigation, has been greedi)
> taken up, and in the eastern parts of tn
, state great deal has been pre-empted tina
; will probably never pay the farmers fo
their work. It is thirsty prairie, too hig
for irrigation. and its owners are dependin
on a rain fall which is very uncertain, an
, which will in dry seasons leave their farm
as barren as the desert Of Sahara. TIL
, sandy soil of Colorado drinks up water like
: 'eive, and only small proportion Of it Ca
oe titled without irrigation.
The cattle can, however, Craze on much {
? the upands if they can get water, aud til
Q short gray dusty grass makes feed for then
As q result the grazing interests Of the sta
are large, and the cattle interests moui
well I'D into the millions. There is estimate
!. 20 be 100000 cattle now in the state,
enough at six feet each in length to make
single Ale procession, the nose of ono CO
touching the tail of the other, reaching fro
here to New York. The wool clip Of Colorac
l last year was 100000 pounds, and hor
] raising is getting to be q great industr
Riding from Pueblo to Denver l saw man
,roves OF horses and mules, and In northei
Colorado there Is an extensive breeding
. inc stock such as Ciydesdales and Norman